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Friday August 11, 2006
Week of August 7, 2006
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Two DC council members are vying for the job of Council Chair: longtime member Kathy Patterson is known for taking on the police department after the illegal arrest of protesters and she's battled with the White House to keep trains carrying toxic chemicals out of the district. Vince Gray won his seat on the council on a platform of helping the district's "have-nots" and he has the distinction of being endorsed by developers and environmentalists. WAMU's Lisa Nurnberger has more on the contest.
Over the past year we've heard a lot about day laborers, but despite the ethical and legal wrangling, few dispute that these immigrant workers come to the region because there's work to be had. That may be changing because some day laborers now say they're spending more time waiting and less time working. We dispatched WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard to find out why, and whether it's a harbinger of things to come.
Staying on the topic of unemployment, WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske takes a look back at the changing face, and gender, of the American workforce.
A police officer hanging out in a local shop might provoke indignation from those who believe too much time is being spent on doughnut breaks and not enough time on the streets. But in Montgomery County, officers are being sent to local stores to crack down on habitual drinkers who are being sold alcohol, and to educate shop owners who are doing the selling. It's being called the "Cops in Shops" program and it's aimed at enforcing laws against public intoxication at the source. I spent some time with Kathy Durbin, from Montgomery County’s Department of Liquor Control, and Captain Dave Falcinelli with Montgomery County Police, to find out how officers are trying to curb a problem they say is spilling onto city streets.
There are grass roots organizations, and then there are BLUE grass roots organizations. For at least 25 years, musicians in our area have been gathering regularly at a community center in Arlington for bluegrass jams. WAMU's Gail Wein checked out the pluckers and strummers at Lyon Park. Bluegrass jams kick off in Arlington every second and fourth Sundays of the month, regardless of the weather.
We've been through a couple of sweltering weeks here in DC, and although we're getting a bit of a reprieve there may be more to come. So we bring you an excuse to come inside, draw the blinds and cozy up to the AC. Here with a great excuse to be indoors is Bari Biern, and her selection of "Three Videos, No Waiting."
And finally today, commentator Melissa Jordan remembers one particular hero in her life who's honored at a national memorial you may have missed. Melissa Jordan is a writer living in Bethesda.
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